Ape-ocalypse
by Alex Cloninger
Summary: The Simian Flu, a viral disease, decimates the globe. It enhances the brain functions of all apes, and de-evolutionizes the minds of all sentient beings. Ape-ocalypse is a riveting story about survival, love, and evolution as a group of survivors become adjusted to their new surroundings.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The first rays of golden light spread across the lush, unmanicured lawn, cascading shadows across the white washed walls of the three story mansion that stood empty. The waist high weeds were browning due to lack of rain and exposure to the sunlight. At one end of the property, a dense forest provided cover for a lone hunter, who crouched low with his weapon drawn. The rustic Remington Twelve Guage Pump Action Shotgun hadn't been loaded in three months, but he carried it due to the comfort he felt from the weight of the weapon in his hand. He lowered the weapon after a few seconds, taking the time to adjust his backpack which had been empty for a week now. His blue eyes stayed ahead of him, surveying the land and always alert.

In three months, the world around him had gone to hell. He had witnessed the community he grew up in fall to ruins in a few short hours. He took to hiding in the shadows, clutching his shotgun close to his chest. In the days that followed, he had used all four boxes of his ammunition defending himself from the genetically enhanced apes that had been attacking the city, and the humans they infected with the virus known as "Simian Flu" or Apeshit-itis. The disease made apes stronger, faster, and smarter than normal, enabling them to communicate with rough human speech. When a human was attacked, via a bite or scratch of the apes, their minds devolutionized making them act like apes in all aspects.

Running his left hand through his blonde hair, the hunter breathed in deeply through his nose. He took with his breath the scent of nature around him. He smelled the moisture in the air, an indication that rain was coming. He also caught the smell of smoke, just a faint wisp of the almost acidic smell. Something was burning not far from his location and that worried him a bit. He peered out from under his tree, and saw no sign of smoke which eased his mind. The mansion before him was going to be his place of residence until further notice. He hoped it was well stocked with food and other supplies so he wouldn't have to return to the city for a while.

* * *

Inside the mansion, unbeknownst to the hunter outside, four other humans were laying low in a third floor bedroom. As with the hunter outside, the four of them had witnessed their community fall in a matter of days. The four of them had entered the mansion seeking shelter for a day, but the oldest member decided to stay on the top floor, and move as quietly as possible to avoid alerting anyone to their presence.

After their small neighborhood was obliterated by the infected humans, the oldest of the four, who had just turned eighteen, lead the other three off in search of safety. The group had gathered a small assortment of weapons, but nothing that would work against the actual apes. Firearms were the only effective weapons against the apes with their enhanced smarts, speed, and strength. Of all the weapons they had gathered, none of them had bothered grabbing a firearm.

Narrowing her green eyes, the leader stared through the window with fierce determination radiating off her body, as she calculated the options before her. She pulled her shoulder length blonde hair into a pony tail and looked to the brown haired teen to her right. She nodded to him, and she could see the fear swelling in his eyes. He shook his head, causing his messy brown hair to shake, signalling that they were the only two awake at that moment.

"Jayson," she whispered, "We should begin on the bottom floor, and work our way to the top,"

"Amber, what about Carrie and Jefferey?" Jayson asked, indicating the other two figures still cuddled together in a far corner.

"We should wake them, but they were the last on guard duty. Let them sleep," Amber replied dryly.

Amber had been friends with Carrie Moss since the second grade. They had taken dance classes together, and eventually grew beyond just friends, more like sisters. Carrie's dark brown hair fell longer than Amber's and she wore glasses. The two friends shared everything together, well, almost everything. They didn't share boyfriends.

Amber pushed the thought from her mind, because thinking about the past always made her smile. She would always think about him, her fiancee. He had been the first fatality in their own home. The apes had exploded through the door, yes, actual apes. Not the infected humans that acted like monkeys, but the actual apes. They stormed through the front door of the house she shared with her fiancee and her mother and step-father. Her step-father had been the first to be taken out, a gorilla backhanded him through a bedroom door, instant kill or so they thought. Her mother screamed, pushing Jayson up the stairs. Her scream had stunned the apes, long enough for Jayson to burst through the upstairs apartment and alert Amber as to what was happening. Her fiancee had grabbed his derringer pocket pistol and rushed the staircase. He managed to take down three apes, with well placed shots to the forehead. The gorilla that had taken down her Step-Father had already ripped her mother's throat out by this time. She lay convulsing on the floor, as the gorilla turned to her fiancee and roared. The roar was cut short as her fiancee shot him. He rushed to help her mother only find his way blocked by her step-father.

Her fiancee was shocked by his appearance and was torn apart. Nothing was left. Then her mother and step-father had stormed into the upstairs apartment looking for Amber and Jayson. They found an empty apartment, as Jayson and Amber had escaped through an open window. The two of them left the only home they had known for years in search of help. They ran into Carrie and Jefferey, about fifteen minutes later. Carrie's car had overheated during the drive over, as Jefferey explained, because Carrie's lead foot kept it pegged out as she worried about Amber.

Jayson nudged her, shaking Amber from her thoughts once again. He extended a wooden baseball bat to her. She took it and smiled. The bat had been their saving grace when faced with the infected. The blow to the head seemed to be the only way to bring the once human creatures to a complete stop. The first time Amber had stopped one, it just happened to be her mother. Amber twirled the bat in her hand, confident in her abilities now that she held the bat.

"Jayson," Amber said, noting movement outside the window, and backing against a wall so she could see outside without being seen, "Get down. Someone is approaching,"

"Infected?" Jayson asked.

"Hard to tell. Whoever it is, isn't trying too hard to cover their trail," Amber stated.

"What should we do?" Jayson asked.

"Get back in the room," Amber instructed, "Barricade the door. Don't let anyone in that isn't me,"

She waited for Jayson to enter the room and shut the door. She twirled the bat once more for good luck.

* * *

The hunter noticed the front door to the large mansion was standing wide open and he instantly picked up an aroma wafting from within the building. The sweet smell brought back many memories of his departed girlfriend, who had succumbed to the plague. She always wore that sour apple fragrance because he loved it. The scent froze him momentarily, as if he expected her to walk out of the building, carrying gallon of sweet tea and a sandwich. The little things she had done for him as he completed chores around the yard are what drew him to her. He shook his head, forcing the memory to the back of his mind as he refocused himself. Raising the Remington Pump Action to his shoulder, he proceeded forward.

He wondered if the sentient apes were learning to use human items such as perfume, tools, and other such niceties, as he crept up on the porch of the home. Two rockers were toppled over, two rockers that could have belonged to a loving older couple who spent their evenings watching the sunset. To his right, he noted a discarded briefcase. Bound in leather, with golden latches, the briefcase was out of place. He recognized the odd water droplet insignia etched into the leather. A symbol from a trading card game he had partaken in playing years ago. Magi-Nation, he thought, The Sea Tribe logo. He made a mental note to return and check the briefcase later. Remembering that his gun wasn't loaded, the hunter shifted the weapon so that he held it by the barrel, gripping it as if he gripped a club. He stepped inside, slowly and cautiously. The floorboards creaked beneath his black tennis shoes, as he put to use his favored hunting technique he learned from an old Indian chief. He would step on his tip toes before lightly shifting all weight to the heel of his feet. The Indians believed this to be the quietest way to hunt and to their credit, it had worked very well for him.

Noises came at him suddenly, from all corners of the house. As if someone had suddenly started setting off bottle rockets all at once in four different places. Swiveling on his right heel, he turned in all directions looking for the source of the sounds. No source was in his direct line of sight, so he proceeded forward towards what would have once been the sitting room of the mansion. The large television would once have hosted Super Bowl parties, or displayed real life dramas as its owners watched in awe. A lazy boy recliner was hastily thrown in front of a second door leading back out to the porch. The hunter sighed deeply before falling into the recliner, his feet relieved to finally be resting.

The last time he had relaxed, had been before the pandemic started. His girlfriend, Brittaney, had arranged for him to spend an entire day playing video games. He had dozed off playing his favorite role playing game. When he awakened, she had been injured during her trip home from work. Blood oozed from a bite wound on her shoulder, and with his limited knowledge of medical arts, he couldn't identify the type of animal that had bitten her. Thirty minutes later, he registered her in the hospital and was told the wait time would be an hour to two hours. Arguing with the nurse was pointless, Brittany insisted on waiting. The two of them huddled together in a corner, and watched as the sickness began destroying everyone around them. He and Brittaney escaped but Brittaney turned an hour later, becoming feral at first. He had rebuked her attempts of attacking him, until she gained the unbridled strength of the apes.

A sound from the stairway snapped from him from his thoughts, as he jerked the shotgun up, readying it. A baseball came into view, swinging wildly and blindly around the corner. He stifled a laugh, placed the shotgun across his lap and began making ape noises.

* * *

The sound of apes startled her so much that she dropped the baseball bat. The wooden bat rattled loudly on the polished wooden floors, causing Amber to let out a small shriek. Immediately after shrieking, she heard the sound of laughter as her cheeks flushed red. Judging from the sound of the laughter, whomever was laughing hadn't spoken in a while. The laughter was hoarse and scratchy, as if being forced out of a parched mouth. She turned the corner, and saw HIM.

He was dressed in a white hooded t-shirt with no sleeves. He wore a white bandanna around his neck, and blue denim shorts. The only tattoo visible was on his shoulder, a tribal marking of some sort. His blonde hair was cropped close, but looked as if he had cut it with a knife instead of clippers. His eyes were hidden behind a dark pair of sunglasses. Across the denim jeans he was wearing was a shotgun, thought Amber didn't know anything about other than the fact that it was pump action. She glanced down, averting her eyes to see his black tennis shoes before clearing her throat.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she asked.

"It's common courtesy to introduce oneself before demanding the name of another," he spoke, and his voice was the same as his laugh, hoarse and scratchy.

"I'm Amber Collins," she retorted.

"Alex Ruler," he said, stretching a bit, "and if you don't mind, I'm gonna take a nap here in the recliner and I'll be on my way,"

"I do mind," Amber shot back, "You can move on now, or you can answer my questions. I have a group to protect,"

Amber instantly regretted mentioning the others. She saw interest flicker across his face, and as he removed his sunglasses, she swore she could see a plan forming in his mind. His eyes, there were color of a sapphire sky. Averting her eyes again, to avoid him seeing her red flags going off, Amber waited for him to answer her question.

"Look, Amber was it?, I'm not going to harm anyone. I just need a little rest. I've been on the move for four days now. I was tracking a meal ticket when I lost the remaining three shells for my gun. If you could please just allow me to sleep a few hours," Alex replied through a yawn, "I'll be gone before you know it,"

"I'll give you until sundown," Amber mused before storming off.

Moments later, she was asking herself why she was being rude to the first sentient human they had seen in weeks. After explaining to Jayson, Carrie, and Jefferey about their visitor, the four of them set to work. As they worked, making the third floor livable for the four of them, Amber kept an eye on the stairs. Her mind would occasionally drift towards the man down stairs and think of his story. Shaking her head, she continued working.

* * *

Alex woke, his neck crippled with pain that ran down his spine. He hadn't slept like that in a long time. When his eyes flashed open, his mind took a few moments to register his environment. He saw the large screen television, the deer mounted on the wall, and the photograph of three people he didn't recognize. Rubbing his face, he yawned.

"Okay, Okay," he whispered to himself, "Get a grip, Ruler. You've lived through the Ape Apocalypse, now you've got to survive. The only problem is, you've got a blonde Xena defending this house,"

He groaned and pulled himself out of the lazy boy, almost dropping the shotgun across his lap. Instinctively, he caught the gun with his left hand and brought it up to his shoulder as if preparing to fire it as a young man appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Whoa," he gasped, his voice letting his age be known, as his hands went to the air, "Amber sent me to retrieve you,"

"Oh really?" Alex asked, lowering the gun.

"You are Alex, right?" the kid asked, flashing a grin.

"Yeah, that's me. Let's go see what Xena, Blonde Warrior Princess want with me, shall we?" Alex asked, as the kid laughed.

It was strange having someone else to laugh at his wisecracks. The last group he had hunkered down with, no one liked his jokes. It was almost like humor had died with the rest of the infected humans. Alex followed the kid upstairs, already forming a plan to convince Amber to let him stay with the group. The kid led him to the third floor of the house, which leveled out into a hallway, that branched into three bedrooms and a sitting room. The sitting room was windowless, and that's where Amber was waiting for them. Around a oil lantern, Amber had gathered her group, as the kid led Alex into the meeting. He took his place by Amber's side as Alex scanned the room, the faces of the other two people in the room.

"Carrie, Jefferey, Jayson, this is Alex Ruler. Alex, these are my people: Carrie Moss, Jefferey Clarke, and Jayson Collins," Amber said looking to Alex.

"Hey," Alex said, as he bounced on his heels, "Look I know you said for me to leave at sundown, but I just woke up not five minutes ago,"

"Easy cowboy," Jefferey stated, standing up.

Alex studied the man before him. Not much taller than Alex, who stood roughly five feet seven inches tall, Jefferey looked like a tough kid from the wrong side of the tracks joined bodies with Marty McFly's Dad in 1885. Jefferey made it clear by standing between Alex and Carrie that he claimed her.

"Hey McFly!" Alex shot back, "I'm leaving okay,"

"We want you to stay. You have a firearm. We don't," Amber pointed out, "Safety in numbers,"

"So you only want me for my gun?" Alex asked, smirking a bit, "Then you'll be sad to hear that I used the last of my ammunition last month. I carry it for looks and comfort,"

"What good is a hunter without bullets?" Jefferey asked.

"McFly, I suggest you sit down and let the adults talk," Alex said, causing Jayson to crack a smile. "I've survived for a month without ammunition or people. I think I can handle myself, I just needed some rest,"

"Look, you are welcome to stay with us. Perhaps we can even work together and make this house liveable and protect it from the apes," Amber stated.

"If the apes are what you are worried about, this house ain't gonna protect you. The Infected are the brute force, the shock troops of the ape army,"

"You mean the Humonkeys?" Jayson asked, curiosity getting the best of him as Carrie, Jefferey, and Amber all looked at him, "What? I heard a guy from that town a few days back calling them that,"

"Whatever! The point is, Alex Ruler, we need someone who can teach us how to survive without using the same methods we were used to using. None of us here know how to hunt, how to live off the land. You certainly know something to have survived a month without ammunition," Amber said.

"Okay, you get lessons in living...but what is in it for me?" Alex asked.

"You get companions who are just as far up shit creek as you are," Carrie offered.

"You get someone who can trade wisecracks with you," Jefferey stated.

"You get a friend," Jayson said, sheepishly, which left Alex to turn to Amber.

"And you offer?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You a room in this house, a good meal, and everything they offered you, Biff," Amber shot back.

"Took you that long to figure out which movie I was quoting huh?" Alex asked, smiling, "I guess you guys have a teacher. I'm going to teach the kid how to hunt, McFly will learn how to protect himself using his surroundings, and you two females will learn how to move silently,"

"Works for us," Amber stated.

"But let's make one thing clear, I don't answer to anybody. As long as you are out with me, you listen to me. If my instructions are not followed, you could very well die," Alex said.

"Right. We only have one rule anyways," Amber said, "We follow it very well considering that Jayson is my brother, and Carrie and Jefferey are a couple,"

"Let me guess...No one makes a move on you? Don't worry, Xena, I'm not gonna be your Hercules," Alex said, "Jayson, could you show me to this room I was offered, please?"

With that, Alex turned sideways to allow Jayson to lead him to his room. The room was at the end of the hallway, a small room with a twin bed and a single nightstand. Jayson stayed around for a bit, waiting to see if Alex needed anything. Alex smirked as he tossed his empty bag on the bed.

"Alright, Jayson. Your first lesson begins in the morning," Alex said, sitting on the edge of the bed, "Get some rest. I'll be waking you around dawn,"


	2. Chapter 2

"-I'm just saying, the dude came out of nowhere. We shouldn't be so trusting," Jefferey stated, as he pulled on a black t-shirt and denim shorts, "For all we know, this guy could be out there killing Jayson as we speak and we'd never know anything about it until its too late,"

"Shut up," Carrie said, pushing Jefferey playfully, "Jayson's a smart kid. He'd recognize danger before he was put in it,"

Sunrise came faster than anyone expected. Jefferey woke and immediately began filling Amber and Carrie with details of his nightmare about the newcomer. Jayson had been gone since before sunrise, with Alex. The two of them went hunting to bring in more food. Amber really didn't think about anything Jefferey had said. She didn't trust anything he said, not since he had almost gotten them killed two weeks prior to meeting Alex.

The four of them had stopped outside an old K-Mart. A K-Mart that had been a frequent shopping area of Amber's since she was a little girl. She knew the store inside and out. Her instructions had been simple that morning.

"Jayson, you hit up sporting goods. Grab anything that will come in handy. Jefferey, you and Carrie head for the groceries and grab all canned foods. I'm going to check electronics for emergency radios,"

Of course, Jefferey decided to check the backroom once he and Carrie had packed everything they could find inside the store in the back of an old pickup truck the four of them had found. He went to the backroom and opened several doors trying to find the overstock, and inadvertantly opened a sort of break room for employees that been inhabited by the infected humans. Jefferey lead the infected into the store, grabbed Carrie and made a mad dash towards the door. Amber and Jayson were caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the infected and would have died had it not been for quick thinking of Jayson. Jayson spreaded deer urine all around them, coating their human scent. The two siblings crouched beneath the counter of Sporting Goods, and clutched each other until Jefferey and Carrie returned to save them. When the two of them where found, Amber immediately swung on Jefferey, without asking what had happened.

She shook the memory from her head, gathered her baseball bat, and took Carrie's arm to begin a perimeter sweep. Jefferey shook his head, as he picked up his backpack and headed for the tool shed at the edge of the property.

* * *

"Alright, we've got us a trail," Alex whispered, eyeballing the ground before him and Jayson. "We just follow this out a peice. See what we find,"

"How long do you think this trail has been here?" Jayson asked.

Alex crouched next to the trail, and studied it. He drew a combat blade from a holster on his leg, using it to point.

"You see how this footprint hasn't settled yet?" Alex asked, "You can tell by the way the dirt sort of erodes when I wave the tip of the blade across it,"

"I see it," Jayson said.

"This trail is about five to fifteen minutes old. Judging from the foot pattern," Alex said, indicating three padded prints that make up the print, "I'd say we were trailing a deer gone to water,"

"How so?" Jayson asked.

"The smell of water is in the air," Alex answered, "We've got a stream that surrounds the property. It's about fifteen yards away,"

"Sweet," Jayson says, "Let's go bag a deer?"

"With what? My shotgun has no bullets," Alex reminded him.

"Then how are we going to kill anything?" Jayson asked.

"Using traps," Alex smiled, "My personal favorite is the spring wire trap,"

"Spring wire?" Jayson asked.

"Follow me," Alex said, lowering his gun.

Alex lead Jayson to a patch of forest coated in kudzu. Alex began gathering the vines and showing Jayson how to carefully gather them. Once they had a good pile of vines, Alex smiled.

"Now, we entwine these vines and make a sturdy rope, with which to set our trap," Alex explained, "Basic Boyscout training,"

"Gotcha. How should we tie the ends of the vines?" Jayson asked.

"Devil's Snare," Alex said, showing Jayson how to properly tie the knot.

After an hour of working, the two of them had about thirty feet of handmade rope. Alex showed Jayson how to set the trap by tying a rope around a wirey tree and bending it over to the ground, tying the tree firmly in place, and running the rope between two trees.

"This is a simple trap. It'll stop anything with legs," Alex said, "I always add a small surprise to the trap though,"

With that, Alex began climbing the nearest tree with a bundle of rope he had weaved together. Jayson stood at the base of the tree with an eyebrow raised.

"How is this a surprise?" Jayson asked, as Alex spread the bundle out to reveal he had weaved a net. "Oh I see,"

"When the trap is triggered, it will release the net, which catches and confuses the prey. We move in and kill it by breaking its neck," Alex explains, "Efficient and effective,"

"Are the hand made ropes reusable?" Jayson asked.

"Depends on the size of the creature we ensnare," Alex explains, "These traps can take down a moose, a bear, a deer, or even a...,"

Alex trailed off as the sounds of nature suddenly quietened down. He signaled to Jayson to remain silent. Something wasn't right, as the birds in the woods had suddenly stopped singing.

* * *

Controlling his breathing, Wukong stiffened as the human hunter explained to the small child how the trap worked. This was an interesting discovery on Wukong's part, for he had developed an interest in humans and their behavior since the sickness had eliminated over three fourths of the population in North America alone. As an ape, who had been born unto the royale family of Lord Vaan, the leader of the ape colony and the ape single handedly responsible for the downfall of the humans, Wukong had learned many things about the humans. Mostly the bad things his father had taught, some good qualities the humans had, Wukong had learned during his time with the Human Handler, Jessa. Jessa, a chimpanzee who had been raised by humans, cared deeply for the creatures. Wukong wanted to impress her so much that he made it his goal to learn as much about Humans as possible. Wukong then noticed the hunter go stiff. He noticed it too. Nature suddenly changed, as if something terrible was looming over the horizon. Silently, Wukong inhaled the air and was shocked. His father had deployed another troop of Humonkeys in this region. This would be the fourth troop released.

The Humonkeys, as Jessa had taken to calling the humans that were infected with the sickness, were humans with the strength and speed of an ape as well as the mind. They lost all traces of their original selves and became totally different animals. Jessa trained those Humonkeys to obey a single commander in the military. Wukong was one of those commanders. He commanded a small troop, no Humonkey under the human age of eighteen. His entire troop was hidden amongst the foliage surrounding the two humans. The older human, Wukong had been tracking for several weeks. He had learned this human was called Alex and skilled in tracking. Wukong knew the apes had a lot to learn from the humans if they hoped to survive, but getting Lord Vaan to agree to it was extremely difficult. Vaan disliked all humans and Wukong understood why. The humans had done horrible, horrible things to Vaan.

_Encircle the clearing_. Wukong signed to the closest ape beneath his control, Sergi. Sergi was Wukong's best friend and Humonkey handler for the troop.

"Jayson," the older human stated, "Let's get out of here. Something's coming,"

"Right," the younger human stated, as they quickly gathered their few items, leaving their traps hidden without bait.

_Do not follow. We must retreat._ Wukong signed to Sergi. Sergi nodded and signaled the instruction to the Humonkey Troops who regrouped with Wukong and Sergi before heading towards the ape colony, in the remains of the old Cherokee Technology Center.

* * *

"That was a really weird feeling," Alex explained to Jayson, as they reached the cul-de-sac that had become their home.

"Can you give me something other than that?" Jayson asked, putting a hand on Alex's shoulder for support.

"You know that feeling you get when you enter a dark house, and you sense someone is there?" Alex asked, as Jayson nodded, "I got that feeling, times ten."

"You think we were being followed or something?" Jayson asked.

"Perhaps, but the feeling is gone now," Alex replied.

The two survivors ventured towards their new home, with Alex stopping on the porch. He picked up the briefcase he had noticed earlier. The one with the Magi-Nation Sea Tribe Logo on it. Jayson raised an eyebrow.

"We tossed that out because we didn't know what it was," Jayson explained.

"This, my young friend, is a very expensive way to carry around Magi-Nation Trading Cards," Alex chuckled lightly. "Very simple game. You only need two people to play, and judging," Alex shook the briefcase, "from the weight in this thing, there is enough cards in here for everyone in the house to build a playable deck to pass time,"

"When would we have the time to actually play?" Jayson asked, arching his right eyebrow.

"Right now, we'll confiscate this. I'll put it in my room and once we get things settled down a bit here with supplies and things, we'll play," Alex laughed.

Alex and Jayson ventured into the house, with Jayson heading to the room he shared with Amber, and Alex heading into his room. Once inside his room, Alex leaned his shotgun against the wall behind the door. He placed the briefcase beneath the bed and laid back on it. He breathed in deeply when his door burst open.

"On your feet,"

It was Jefferey. He was wearing a black t-shirt with some random metal band thrown across it. Alex made a pshhh! noise and looked at Jefferey.

"What do you want?" Alex asked.

"I want you, on your damned feet. You are going to fucking start teaching me how to hunt," Jefferey demanded.

"Whoa com padre. You don't tell me what I'm going to do, or when I'm going to do anything. I follow no one's orders," Alex stated.

"You are going to follow my orders, or you are leaving," Jefferey taunted.

In a moment, Alex was on his feet, hands clenched into fists. On instinct, he swung a hard right hook connecting with Jefferey's jaw sending the young man to the ground hard. Alex stepped over Jefferey just as Jefferey grabbed his ankle slamming Alex face first into the floor. The two survivors scuffled for leverage, ending the fight with Alex slamming his right fist into Jefferey's throat. This caused Jefferey to start coughing, long enough for Alex to kick him to the side. As Jefferey lay on the floor, clutching his throat and coughing, Alex used the hand rail that lead down stairs to pull himself to his feet. He turned to Jefferey and kicked him in the stomach, causing the young survivor to shout in pain.

Jayson, Carrie, and Amber joined them instantly. Amber raised her baseball bat. Carrie shrieked as Alex repeatedly kicked Jefferey. Curse words flew from his mouth, as Jayson moved to grab Alex. Restraining Alex as he had been taught by his father, Jayson locked the man's arms behind his back.

"Let me go! I'm gonna kill this slacker!" Alex shouted enraged.

"Alex, no!" Jayson exclaimed.

"What in the hell is going on here?" Amber asked, as Carrie rushed to Jefferey's side.

"Amber! He's coughing up blood! HELP ME!" Carrie shrieked.

Amber dropped her baseball bat, rushed to Carrie's side and pulled her away from Jefferey.

"AMBER!" Carrie shrieked.

"Carrie, NO! He has to go through this himself," Amber explained.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked, suddenly aware that someone was hurt.

"He's gone through this once before," Jayson explained, "Right after the initial outbreak. He started coughing up blood, and convulsing just like now,"

"So what is this?" Alex asked.

"I've been calling it Blood Seisures. Haven't found a medical book to compare syptoms too. Nothing I've seen before," Amber explained.

"So you are a nurse?" Alex asked.

"No. I've taken a few classes. The closest thing we've got to a nurse though," Amber shot back, "These usually last only a few minutes. I need you to tell me what happened?"

"Jayson and I came back from setting our traps and tracking lessons. I had just settled into my room to get a quick nap before I started gathering supplies for the group. McFly over there burst in my room and demanded that I get up and go with him. I thought I was very clear during the first group meeting that I follow no ones orders," Alex reported, monotoned.

"You also told us you would teach us," Amber shot back.

"On my own time. I want to make sure Jayson gets the hang of hunting before moving on," Alex stated bluntly.

"Amber," Jayson exclaimed, "he's calming down. Let's get him into his room,"

With Alex's help, Amber and Jayson moved Jefferey diligently. The convulsions stopped, and Jefferey lay upon the bed like a scarecrow that had fallen off its post. Amber checked his pulse and breathed a sigh of relief.

"He should be ok. Pulse is steady, breathing is nearing normal. The blood isn't coming up any at all,"

"Um, maybe its a bad time to mention to that I throat punched him," Alex interrupted.

"YOU WHAT?" Carrie shouted, leaping forward, her hands cupped as if trying to strangle Alex.

"Easy there, Homer Simpson," Alex stated, placing his palm against her forehead, "The bastard attacked me. I had to defend myself,"

"SO YOU THROAT PUNCHED HIM?" Carrie shouted again, as Jayson tugged her back.

"He left me no choice," Alex recalled, "He was choking me and I did what I had to do in order to break free. One large right thrust punch to the throat,"

"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Amber asked.

"Didn't think it mattered then," Alex muttered, "Besides, he brought it on himself when he burst into my room,"

"Jay, take Carrie and stand by Jefferey's bedside. Mr. Ruler, come with me," Amber demanded.

"Excuse me, XENA, did you miss the part where I don't follow orders?" Alex glared.

"Excuse me, Jerkules, did you miss the part where I decide if you stay or if you go?" Amber shot back.

Reluctantly, Alex followed Amber. She led him downstairs, to the second floor. He continued to follow her, as she led him into a small pantry.

"Okay, Xena, what gives?" Alex asked.

"The name is Amber," was his reply.

"Alright, alright. Amber, what gives?" Alex asked.

"Well, Jerkules, we are going to get somethings straight," Amber said, pointing her index directly in Alex's face, "This group is tight knit. We can't have members of this group fighting. Either you are with us, or you get the fuck out,"

"The name is Alex," he shot back, "and if Marty McFly up there hadn't burst into MY ROOM, and demanded me to move, I wouldn't have had to fight him,"

"Marty McFly up there happens to be the only male left alive that Carrie trusts other than Jayson,"

"What has he done other than almost get you and Jayson killed? How many of those apes has he killed? How many Humonkeys?" Alex stated.

"Jefferey has his faults. We all do, even you Mr. Ruler," Amber retorted, "Like how you are supposed to be this brilliant hunter, but you arrive with no ammunition and when you return from your first hunting trip, you come back empty handed,"

"I'll remember that," Alex stated, "When me and the kid come back tomorrow with a nice deer to eat. Me and the kid will be the only ones eating,"

"Funny, Mr. Ruler," Amber half chuckled.

"I'm being fucking serious," Alex stated, "You just insulted me on the highest level,"

"Alex," Amber stated, "You have got to learn to mesh with this group,"

"I think the group needs to mesh with me. Me and the kid get along great. Its everyone else I'm worried about," Alex stormed off.

* * *

Wukong and Sergi returned to the colony with a few hours of sunlight left. Wukong allowed Sergi to return their Humonkey troop to the corral as he entered the giant Spruce Pine Treehouse that belonged to Lord Vaan.

_Father,_ Wukong signed as he entered the main hallway. Vaan raised his head to see his son approaching.

_Wukong, where have you been? My guards where about to begin searching,_ Vaan signed back before shaking his head, "The oldest son should always stand beside father," Vaan spoke, his voice loud, broken, and stern.

_Father, I have been scouting possible looting areas. Sergi and I discovered an untouched area, I believe the Humans once called them suburbs._ Wukong signed to his father before he too spoke, "First encounter with Human,"

"Human?" Vaan chuckled lightly, "Wu, Humans died months ago,"

"Human adult with Human adolescent. Hunting grounds," Wukong stated, his voice soft, broken, and polite.

"How many?" Vaan asked.

"Just five," Wukong explained, "Two female, three male. No threat,"

"Except, Humans represent greatest threat of all to the apes," Vaan stated, stroking his chin.

"Surely not these humans," Wukong offered, "Allow Sergi and I to continue to scout them,"

"Very well. I expect a report before the rise of Full Moon," Vaan explained, "Wu, careful. Humans may seem harmless, but if these five have survived the initial outbreak, they are capable of more than you think,"

"The oldest male is a hunter, father. He has no ammunition for his weapon," Wukong reported

* * *

The next morning, Alex woke to check on Jefferey. He found Jefferey sitting in his bed. Alex quietly opened the door and stepped inside.

"Look, McFly, I came to tell you I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have let my anger get to me. So, how about getttig dressed and going with me to check the traps?" Alex asked.

"Sure," Jefferey stated, "What should I wear?"

"Something with a hood and a bandanna," Alex said, turning to leave.

Jefferey joined Alex downstairs, and of course he wasn't wearing what Alex suggested. Alex shook his head and pulled his bandanna and hood on.

"You have to control your breathing, and step on your toes first. Shift your weight to your heel. This allows you to silently step without making any type of noise. If you step on a twig or something, you will still break it but without a single sound," Alex explained.

"Right," Jefferey stated yawning.

"Now, let's fashion us a weapon to use to bring whatever is in these traps home with," Alex said, leading Jefferey to the bottom floor of the house, "Grab a blade. It will come in handy. We can make spears,"

"The blade will be fine. Let's go," Jefferey said.

"Whatever," Alex said, sighing deeply.

He lead Jefferey out the door and across the lawn to the little path he and Jayson had used the day before. Scanning the path, Alex noticed the path had been traversed recently. But the tracks weren't human. He looked to Jefferey and gave a slight nod. Jefferey drew his blade and walked to the right, crunching the leaves beneath his feet. Alex mentally slapped Jefferey in in the face.

The two of them came across a trapped deer, partially eaten. Alex held up one hand, signalling to Jefferey to stop. The two of them readied their blades. They weren't alone.

"The Fuck is out here? I thought we were the only ones in this area?" Jefferey asked.  
"Your guess is as good as mine," Alex whispered.  
"Is that why you wear the hood and bandanna? To look all ninja like?" Jefferey asked.  
"Not really. The reason I wear this is to muffle my breathing," Alex replied.

Arrows flew through the air, striking the ground around Alex and Jefferey. The two of them were confused and shocked.

"Whoever is shooting, can't aim worth a shit," Jefferey said, his breathing increasing.  
"I'm thinking they are trying to scare us away from the meat!" Alex exclaimed, as his breathing increased.

Sunlight glinted off an arrowtip, Jefferey noticed it and brought the tip of his blade up to deflect it. Alex smirked. _McFly has some skills afterall_, he thought. Using the sun to their advantage, Alex and Jefferey deflected fifteen arrows before their attacker stopped shooting.

"That was fun!" Jefferey called, excitedly.  
"Quiet!" Alex hissed as the sound of apes rung through out the forest.  
"Fuck you," Jefferey blurted out, as he gripped the hilt of his blade.

The apes struck.

Jefferey went down, and he went down hard. The chimpanzee struck him broad, across the temple. Jefferey crumpled and rolled to the base of a giant tree. Alex had no idea what to do, as he kept his eyes open for the next assault as the ape that attacked Jefferey had already retreated into the foliage.

"Jefferey! On your feet!" Alex whispered, "I can't defend both of us,"

The apes struck. Alex did his best to deflect their strikes, managing to evade the first three attacks. The fourth stumbled him, causing him to drop his blade. Jefferey grunted and rolled to his side. Alex crouched low, preparing for the next attack. The next attack came from his left, causing him to roll through with the attack to reduce the damage. During his roll across the ground, Alex managed to pick up the dropped blades. He crossed them, forming an 'x' with the blades, surprising the attacking ape. The strength of the blow knocked Alex backwards, causing him to crash into a tree before sliding to its base.

As the darkness gripped his mind, Alex watched as the apes drug Jefferey's body away.


End file.
